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Bangladesh

 

Caught Between Diarrhoea Bugs and Arsenic

Report

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Inter Press Service

By Naimul Haq

DHAKA, May 18, 2012 (IPS) - Caught between arsenic contaminated groundwater and diarrhoea-causing microbes in its ponds and rivers, achieving the millennium development goal of providing access to safe drinking water for its 160 million people by 2015 is a tough call for Bangladesh.

Yet, with a programme of using simple hand pumps and involving the women in affected communities, Bangladesh has managed to ensure that 98 percent of its rural population now has access to safe drinking water.

"Despite widespread arsenic contamination, over 98 percent of the rural population now has access to safe drinking water," avers Mohammad Nuruzzaman, chief engineer of the department of public health (DPHE).

"All the 1.3 million hand-pumped tubewells we have installed for the rural population are arsenic-free. We are constantly monitoring them through regular testing in our 14 regional laboratories," Nuruzzaman told IPS.

Hand pumps access water that is closer to the surface and has had less time to absorb arsenic. Also, very deep tube wells that reach water 500 metres below ground level are usually safe because arsenic deposits at that depth are likely to have been depleted.

"Through constant monitoring, we are adapting and improving our approach, but UNICEF will never be happy until all water supply is made safe from arsenic," Pascal Villeneuve, representative for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Bangladesh, told IPS.

UNICEF has special reason to be anxious about arsenic in groundwater because the U.N. body was responsible for promoting Bangladesh’s tube well programme in the 1950s, which turned disastrous with the discovery of high arsenic contamination of groundwater in 1993.

"Currently, the Bangladesh government and UNICEF are partners in implementing the largest hygiene behaviour change programme in the world," Villeneuve said. "This will ultimately reach 30 million people and is already reaching 20 million."

Under this programme, arsenic mitigation is "mainstreamed," Villeneuve explained. "Communities are being equipped with knowledge and skills to avoid arsenic poisoning while some 20,000 arsenic-safe water points are to be installed, reaching over two million people in areas that are most affected."

Nurul Islam, project director of the programme, told IPS that the role of women is crucial. "The programme is mainly designed to empower women in 600 affected communities so that they can make decisions and demand the best options available."

S.M.A. Rashid, executive director of the NGO Forum for Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation, told IPS: "We promote women’s participation in the arsenic mitigation project and build the capacities of women in affected communities so that the victims can decide how best to solve their problems."

Rainwater harvesting, sand filters, traditional dug wells and alternate tube wells are among range of options on offer with beneficiaries needing to pay just ten percent of the costs.

Groundwater arsenic was first discovered in 1993 in the northwestern district of Chaipainawabganj but the issue remained buried until 1996 when doctors from the Dhaka Community Hospital (DCH), joined scientists from the School of Environmental Studies (SOES), Jadavpur University, West Bengal, India, to go public.

Dipankar Chakraborti, research director at SOES, told IPS: "The government in Bangladesh had thought that sinking deep tube wells would solve its water problems, but 40 percent of the wells turned out to be contaminated with arsenic."

Chakraborti, who has been carrying out tests on hundreds of water samples sent to him from Bangladesh, said many tube wells in the country still show dangerous levels of contamination - though the magnitude of the problem is far less than initially thought.

Arsenic contamination of groundwater occurs in many parts of the world, including locations in India, Thailand, China, Argentina, Chile and the United States. But nowhere has the problem been as severe as in Bangladesh.

Arsenic contamination in Bangladesh was not officially acknowledged until the World Health Organisation (WHO), UNICEF and the National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine jointly conducted a series of tests in 1995.

The enormity of the problem emerged as water samples in parts of the country revealed arsenic at concentrations of 250 parts per billion (ppb), though this is mostly limited to underground layers between 10 and 150 metres. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency deems concentrations exceeding 10 ppb to be toxic.

During the late 1950s, UNICEF, with the good intention of reducing infant mortality from surface water-borne diseases, introduced tube well technology. As deaths from diseases such as cholera and shigella declined, millions of tube wells sprang up across the country with disastrous consequences.

About 22 percent of all tube wells in the country are still arsenic contaminated, according to Mahmud Shamsul Gafur, who works for WHO which once described Bangladesh’s situation as the "largest mass poisoning of a population in history."

"From what we know there are 38,430 patients suffering from various degrees of arsenic poisoning," Gafur told IPS. "It is commendable that there is now a massive government-led awareness programme with the close involvement of women who are the worst sufferers."

Traditionally, in Bangladesh, fetching water is a woman’s chore. Since the advent of tube wells, women have also taken on the responsibility of their maintenance and repair.

Arsenic poisoning can - apart from severely damaging the circulatory and respiratory systems, and causing kidney, bladder and liver diseases - be disfiguring. Women who suffer from the typical skin lesions tend to shy away from public gaze.

Arati Karmaker, who lives in Dakobe village of Khulna district, and has skin lesions caused by arsenic in drinking water, says she is socially isolated. This mother of three always wears a full-sleeved blouse and uses a shawl to cover the disfigurement.

"I opted for a deep tube well which is safe and can be used by other affected families in my neighbourhood," she said.

Some experts say solving Bangladesh’s arsenic problem calls for a return to surface water, which is easily treated for microbes by boiling and does not call for the use of expensive filters. Concentrated arsenic sludge, the byproduct of filtration, presents another serious problem – that of safe disposal.

"If we do not return to using surface water quickly the problem could turn catastrophic," says Prof. Mahmudur Rahman at the DCH. "By drilling so many tube wells we disturbed the underground environment and put ourselves in this crisis."

But surface water sources in densely populated Bangladesh have been drying up and half of the country's original 300 rivers have vanished. For now, the best option is still the simple hand-operated pump and constant vigil for arsenic contamination by women in the communities.

Statement of success of the development activities implemented by the Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE), Bangladesh since the present “Grand Alliance” government has taken the charge.

1. Introduction

The Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) is a department under the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives. This department is responsible for safe water supply and sanitation (sewage and solid waste disposal) management throughout rural and urban (city corporation, pourashava, upazila sadar and growth centre) areas of the country, except the areas under WASAs. The department has set top priority to implement the two goals declared in the present government’s election manifesto-

               I.      Safe drinking water for all by 2011

             II.      100% sanitation coverage by 2013

2. Activities already implemented by DPHE

The following activities have been implemented through different projects after the present government has taken its charge:

During regime of present government, water coverage has increased from 82% to 88% and water source is ensured for every 95 no. of people in rural areas. In urban areas, 30% of the areas are under water coverage through piped water supply system and rests are covered by point sources. As a result, overall water coverage in urban areas has increased to 99.4%.

§         1.31 Lakh nos. different types of water sources have been installed in rural areas, including in arsenic affected areas.

§         Water supply system has been expanded and developed, including preparation to face emergency situation in 24 pourashavas which are affected by the flood of the year 2007.

§         9000 nos. water sources have been installed in “Sidr” and “Aila” affected areas.

§         Piped water supply system has been installed in 21 villages with the sponsorship of private organizations.

§         Piped water Supply system expansion and development as well as regeneration of choked up tube wells have been done in 20 pourasavas.

§         Modern water supply system with impounding reservoir and water treatment plant has been installed in Mongla pourashava of Khulna saline zone.

§         Modern water supply system has been installed, including construction of surface water treatment plant, in Rajshahi city of low water table zone.  

§         The inhabitants of Char areas have been brought under the water supply and sanitation system.

§         Qualitative test of 1,30,000 nos. water sources has been conducted in last 3 years.

§         Qualitative test of existing drinking water sources of 61,000 primary schools has been conducted on demand of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education.

§         Households using sanitary latrine has been increased to 91% as a result of integrated effort of Government, Non Government organizations and Local Government Institutions.

§         4, 10,000 low cost sanitary latrine and 489 nos. community latrine has been set up in this regime.

§         Every year, the15th October is celebrated as “World Hand Washing Day” in every educational institution by DPHE with the assistance of UNICEF and other development partners.

3. Activities being implemented by DPHE

    

Following activities are being implemented since the present government has taken its charge:

§         2, 00,000 different types of water sources are being installed in rural areas including arsenic affected areas.

§         Extension and development of water supply system is being implemented in Sylhet and Barisal City Corporations.

§         Extension and development of water supply system is being implemented in 53 district towns to bring 75% of their inhabitants under piped water supply system.

§         Feasibility study and preparation of investment project for 155 pourashavas is in progress.

§         Implementation of 175 nos. piped water supply schemes in rural areas is in progress.

§         Extension and development of water supply system is being implemented in Kotalipara and Tungipara of Gopalganj District, Shujanagar, Bhangura and Chatmohor Pourashavas of Pabna District and Chowmuhoni Pourashava of Noakhali District.

§         Increasing the sanitary latrine user household to 100% within 2013 by setting up 65 lac sanitary latrines in rural and urban areas. This is being implemented through the integrated effort of Government and Non Government organizations.

4.  Future activities to be implemented by DPHE

    

Following plans have been submitted to be implemented by DPHE in future:

§         Extension and development of water supply system in 38 upazila and growth centers.

§         Establishment of water supply system through pipe line in 45 upazila and growth centres.

§         Extension and development of water supply system in Tongi pourashava and Cox’s Bazar city.

§         Development of water supply system through point sources, for interim period, in 178 pourashavas, where no piped water supply exist.

§         Set up of 12,729 nos. different types of water sources in “Aila” affected 5 upazilas of Khulna and Shatkhira districts.

§         Installation of 49,440 nos. water sources in areas where shallow tube well is successful.

§         Installation of 3,473 nos. pond sand filters, 21,106 nos. No-6 deep tube wells, 3,849 nos. ring wells/ dug wells, 30,854 nos. tara deep tube wells, 167 nos. SST/ VSST, 268 nos. arsenic- iron removal plants, 142 nos. rain water harvesting in arsenic affected areas.

§         Set up of 100 nos. community based de-salination plants; procurement and set up of 15 nos. mobile de-dalination plant.

§         Establishment of 65,00,000 sanitary latrines in rural and urban areas with integrated effort of Government and Non- Government organizations.

§         Encourage people in rural and urban areas to set up and use sanitary latrines.

§         Development of suitable sanitation system in chars, haors, Chittagong hill tracts and other problematic areas.